


Let Me Be Your Future, Let Me Be Your Past

by BehindTheRobinsMask



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Time Travel, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Understanding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 21:21:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20070763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BehindTheRobinsMask/pseuds/BehindTheRobinsMask
Summary: “I know who I am, man, but who the fuck are you?”Meeting Dick Grayson, the former Robin, was not what Jason had expected, their short partnership ending in flames. But a sudden push into the past forces Jason to see his predecessor in a new light, changing everything forever.





	Let Me Be Your Future, Let Me Be Your Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beewitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beewitch/gifts).

> Song:  
1\. We Might Fall by Ryan Starr  
2\. Our Moments Never End by Sereno
> 
> For Clarification -  
Jason - 19 years old  
Dick (Past) - 18 years old

_ “I know who I am, man, but who the fuck are you?” _

Jason should have known better. Born and raised by Crime Alley, each moment spent struggling to see the next day, hope wasn’t something he had learned to hold on to. Hope was for the rich and well-off, for the ones who could actually afford it. Reality had its hooks deep in people like him, too disillusioned to daydream. At least, unlike the others, Jason had his uncle to keep him somewhat safe, though his drunken tantrums brought more trouble than they needed. But then Uncle Ray was gone and the world seemed much darker than before.

The first time that Jason spotted the Batmobile in Crime Alley, no Batman in sight, the only thing on his mind was selling those expensive tires in exchange for food to fill his belly. Being Robin wasn’t even a wish, let alone something that he hoped for. But somehow, out of the thousands of people living in Gotham City, he had been the one chosen to carry this mantle. Now he had a new home, a new school and dare he hope, a new family. For someone who had never even dared to dream, Jason had suddenly had everything but none of that mattered. It couldn’t when all he wanted was to meet the original Robin, the man named Dick Grayson.

While the men of Crime Alley spoke about Batman, some admiring him while others hating his existence that interfered with their work, Jason’s eyes always seemed to follow Robin. If he was lucky, sometimes after climbing onto the roof of a building, he’d see the Boy Wonder pass by, his laughter ringing out in the air as he flew like a bird unchained, each flip and turn defying gravity. He was freedom and Jason always wondered what it would be like to be him.

Now, standing in front of the man he had always wanted to meet, all Jason could feel was anger pumping through his veins, poisoning each thought, each word that fell from his lips. From the moment they had met, all Jason wanted was to be acknowledged, to be seen as a man worthy enough to be Robin. But whenever Dick looked at him, he looked wary and uninterested, as if all he could see before him was a child that needed to be looked after. Instead of wishing him luck, he urged him to leave behind Robin, the one good thing that Jason had in his life.

For someone he had wanted to meet his whole life, Dick Grayson was not what Jason had expected. Instead of flying free in the sky, he was chained to the ground, trapped in a cage of his own making. Maybe there was a reason for him to become the person he had. Maybe growing up meant losing the best parts of yourself. Jason would never know because he was sure that after the show he put on tonight, Dick and him would never have much of a relationship.

Confused and angry, not knowing what to hope for next, Jason pushed Dick back, looking away from the eyes that stared at him with disgust. Feeling small under his predecessor’s gaze, an animal cornered, taking a deep breath, Jason turned around to leave, desperately needing to get away. There was no way that he was going to apologize and Dick would never understand the kind of life he had lived to reach this moment. At the end of the day, it wasn’t like they even had a relationship left to fix anyway.

Heart heavy, with every step that Jason took all he could think of was the nights spent on rooftops, hoping that one day Robin would turn around and look at him, a smile, a wave, something to let him know that he had been noticed. For someone who denied dreams, denied expectations, somehow, Jason had wanted something so mundane yet impossible. And in the end, when his dream stood in front of him, all that he was left with was disappointment because this was not the person he had admired since he was a child. His Robin was gone and Jason wondered why.

And at that moment, the ground beneath Jason’s feet disappeared, plunging him into an ocean of darkness.

  
  
  


When Jason was a child, in the late hours of the night, he would find himself staring up at the sky, counting the stars that glimmered in the darkness like diamonds, searching for the ones with a dying spark and watching them fall, finding his own image in their failure. His mother used to tell him that humans were just fallen stars, some shining brighter than the others, all of them looking for a way back home. He knew it was all bullshit but after a rough day, broken and bruised, guided by the light of the stars, sometimes he didn’t feel so alone.

Now, instead of being on his way back to Gotham, when Jason’s eyes opened, he found himself lying under the familiar night sky that had comforted his young soul, his confusion reflected in the stars that knew he didn’t belong. With a start, he sat up, staring down at his clothes, still dressed in his uniform, everything about him the same. But even though he had no proof, he couldn’t deny the feeling that something was amiss.

Pushing himself to his feet, eyes surveying the area that he was in, Jason could spot buildings that had been torn down years ago standing tall, not a single brick out of place. The roads were empty and only people who were dumb or brave enough to wander in Crime Alley at night wandered around, hands shoved in their pockets, cigarettes alight as they waited for the night to truly begin. Jason couldn’t help but feel like he had seen this before, moments from his memories stolen and put on display. If he had to make a guess, after the short time he had spent with Batman, he could only conclude that this was either a trick to make him reveal who he was or a place to trap him forever. Whatever the case, Jason had to find a way to fix this before Bruce had to intervene and save him.

Going over his options in his head, Jason had just started forming a plan when a shiver ran down his spine, goosebumps coming to life on his skin. Slowly, like he had done so many times before, he turned around and there  _ he  _ was, swinging from one building to another, melodious laughter filling the air: Robin. A part of Jason couldn’t help but stare with awe, still entranced by someone who he knew he would come to hate while the other part of him ached because the Robin he had chased after his whole life was now only alive in his memories.

Any minute now, the vigilante would pass him by and this moment would be a cruel reminder of his present, the fight that had ruined his chances of maintaining a healthy relationship with maybe the only family he had apart from Bruce. Fortunately or unfortunately, life had once again not gone the way Jason had expected and his body stiffened as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, so low that a normal person wouldn’t have detected them.

“Ya know, I’ve seen a lot of… what’s it called?” Robin hummed, brows  scrunched together until he snapped his fingers. “Cosplay! Right! Cosplay. I’ve seen a lot of cosplay but none of them have ever gotten my uniform so… right. It’s like you stole a prototype from B!” He grinned wide enough to show off his teeth and Jason didn’t know what to say, his mind shutting down at the idea of his childhood idol talking to him.

He had imagined talking to Robin a million times but no imaginary conversation could prepare him for this.

Suddenly, instead of standing away, Robin was in his face in the blink of an eye, moving as fast as the Flash so he could jump around Jason, look at him from head to toe. “Hmm, gotta say, you do look nice,” he complimented after a lot of humming. “But I look better.” He shrugged, eyes twinkling with mischief, standing much too close for comfort. For a second or two, Robin just waited for Jason to say something, to retort with a witty comeback but there was nothing. 

Unfortunately, the lack of words didn’t discourage him.

Jason really wished it had.

“So, cutie,” Robin whispered, taking another step forward, so close that Jason could lean in and kiss him. “What’s your name?”

At first, Jason blushed, cheeks burning as his mind searched for the right words to say but then, as he slowly processed the nickname given and the question that followed, a sinking realization hit him. “Are you… are you flirting with me?” he asked incredulously and Robin raised an eyebrow.

“I thought I made that pretty obvious from the start.”

Even though he would never admit it, Jason’s heart skipped a beat, breath catching in his throat. “Oh god,” he whispered before he had the chance to catch himself and soon, Robin was grinning, lips parting to say something that Jason could predict.

_ No. No. God, please no. _

“I’m not God but I can see why you made the mistake.”

_ Damn it. _

Dick Grayson, the original Boy Wonder, the person that he had admired from afar for so long was here, flirting with him like it was the most natural thing in the world and Jason didn’t know what to do, his mind conflicted. Fleeing would be the easiest option but with the way Robin was eyeing him, he was sure that the vigilante would happily chase after him and losing him could be a problem. The last thing Jason wanted was to get into a fight. He could give in to his heart and flirt back (Jason had been practicing his seductive smile. It still needed some work but if he tried, he could probably pull it off in this situation). Dick was clearly interested in him so if Jason reciprocated, who could it possibly hurt? After all, none of this was real.

And that’s when it hit him.

_ None of this is real. _

“Fuck,” Jason groaned, running a gloved hand over his face, frustrated that it had taken him this long to remember the truth. The Robin standing before him wasn’t real. He was just an illusion, a trap to lead Jason astray and he had almost fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. “I’m so fucking stupid.

“Aww don’t say that,” Robin comforted him, slightly confused by the statement but also very amused as he reached out and patted Jason’s shoulder only for his hand to be pushed away.

“You’re not real,” Jason said, deadpan.

Robin blinked. “I know I’m pretty damn good looking but calling me unrealistically beautiful is a bit too much, don’t you think?”

“See!” Jason exclaimed, lips pulling into a wide grin because the imposter kept messing up. “The real Dick Grayson would never talk like that, bro! He’d be too busy preaching about the dangers of being a vigilante while flying around in a cape. Fucking hypocrite.”

In his excitement (and part relief because  _ thank fuck Robin was not flirting with him. How was he supposed to respond if that actually happened? _ ) the gravity of the situation had kind of slipped Jason’s mind and he hadn’t thought his words through before opening his mouth. While he explained all the reasons why everything was fake, Robin’s body had stiffened, the smile slipping from his face.

“And that’s why you’re not—Wait why are you standing like that?”

“Dick Grayson,” Robin bit out, his stance becoming defensive. “How do you know that name?”

And that’s when all hell broke loose.

  
  
  


Finally out of his uniform, sitting in the med bay, Jason pressed an ice pack against his bruised cheek and watched as Dick flipped around the entirety of the cave, a nervous energy replacing his previous enthusiasm.

Apparently, Jason wasn’t trapped in an illusion. Instead, he had been thrown back into the past by something or someone, a truth that was revealed when a worried Batman had found two Robins fighting when he had only set out to find one. There was a lot of suspicion, name-calling (mostly on Jason’s part) and a shit ton of tests before the old Bat (or in this case young Bat) confirmed that Jason was, in fact, telling the truth. If Jason visited his old home now, he’d find his past self sleeping soundly.

While the revelation had somewhat put Jason at ease, Robin’s reaction towards the news worried him a bit. The happy boy had turned into a worried mess, clinging to Bruce’s side more than usual if the old man’s reaction was anything to go by. Dick didn’t seem to be happy with the idea of a second Robin and Jason couldn’t really blame him. After all, his existence proved that the future wasn’t too kind on Dick’s relationship with Bruce.

Occasionally, Dick glanced at Jason, lips parting to ask something but in the end, he’d let go.

Sitting by himself, while worrying over his predecessor’s well-being, Jason couldn’t help but wonder what exactly happened between Dick and Bruce that pushed Dick to quit. Right now, they seemed too close, the perfect duo, but in the future, all that was bound to change.

“I’m going to check the site where Jason first appeared. There might be some clues there to help us find a way to send him home,” Bruce suddenly announced, pushing away from the Bat computer.

“If that doesn’t work out, maybe we could ask the league for help,” Dick suggested.

“Hrn,” was all Bruce had to say before he fled to the Batmobile, clearly not okay with the idea of asking anyone for help.

“Do you need help, B?” Dick asked hopeful, his domino clutched in his hand but Bruce shook his head.

“Finish your homework and head to bed.”

Then the man was gone, leaving the two Robins alone.

Standing by himself, Dick stared the ground, a frown appearing on his delicate face. With sadness in his eyes, a defeated posture and the weight of the world on his shoulders, for the first time, he looked like a reflection of his future self.

For the sake of the future, Jason knew he should have minded his own business because the smallest slip up could change the future and that was bound to have terrible repercussions. But as Dick put away his domino and forced a smile onto his face, Jason couldn’t help but feel for him.

“Hey, how about I take you to my favorite place?” he suddenly asked and Jason should have said no but from the look in his predecessor’s eyes, he could see that Dick needed a friend.

“Sure.”

  
  
  


“Watch your step!” Dick reminded as he made himself comfortable on the steep roof of the manor, settling down on the top.

While the idea of following him would have been daunting for a normal person, Jason had a lot of practice scaling rooftops and this was a piece of cake. After all, he wasn’t being chased by an angry store owner or a gangster he had decided to mess around with. Now, that would have been more of a thrill.

Once he sat down, for a while, the two boys didn’t speak, simply feeling the cool air and staring up at the stars. Well, Dick looked at the stars while Jason kept glancing at him, unable to look away from his serene face. This, right now, was how Dick Grayson should always be, calm and happy, never touched by the darkness. Jason wished that there was something he could do to keep him that way.

“I know I shouldn’t ask,” Dick started and Jason took a deep breath, knowing that these questions were bound to come. “Am I not Bruce’s partner anymore? Did he… did he throw me out?”

Even though he was smiling, Jason could see the sadness in Dick’s eyes, his face vulnerable and it took all his strength not to pull the boy into his arms. “No. Bruce didn’t throw you out.” Jason shook his head.  _ You left him.  _ “You just… you decided to be your own hero, get out of the Bat’s shadow.”  _ You didn’t want anything to do with Batman.  _ “You’re doing great now, man.”  _ I wish I knew why you’re so sad. _

Jason knew that with his words, he was giving Dick hope for a future where he was happy, one where he and Bruce probably still had a strong relationship, never having fallen out. Maybe, after he finally got back to the future, Dick would forget his short visit, forget this conversation or maybe, he would remember and with time, he would come to hate Jason. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t change a thing, not between them at least.

Smiling, Dick nodded and looked back up at the stars, seeming satisfied with the answer he had gotten. “You know, Jay.” He leaned his head on Jason’s shoulders. “For a vigilante, you’re not a good liar.”

Flabbergasted, Jason opened his mouth, looking for words to defend himself, to prove that he wasn’t lying but he came short, averting his gaze when Dick started laughing. “You’re cute,” the former Robin giggled, poking at his cheeks that were turning red.

“And you’re damn annoying,” Jason muttered but that statement just made Dick laugh harder.

Once done, clearing his throat, Dick pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand for Jason. “Come on. I have homework to do and you’re gonna help me as punishment for lying.”

Jason stared at Dick’s outstretched hand, the smile on his face and the light in his eyes, committing the scene to his memories before nodding. “Sure,” he whispered and held onto the hand he never wanted to let go off.

  
  


That night, when Batman returned to the manor, he had no clues and no answers for Jason’s sudden appearance in the past. Without any leads to send the second Robin back to the future, the old man had no choice but to contact the league. At least, that’s what Jason had hoped but from the look on Bruce’s face at the breakfast table, it was obvious that he was plotting something different.

“I’ll be back tonight,” Bruce announced once he was done with his coffee. Then with his coat in his hand, he was out the door, leaving Alfred to roll his eyes at his dramatic entrance.

Once Bruce was gone and Alfred disappeared into the kitchen, Dick, who all this time had been too busy shoveling food down his throat to pay attention to anyone else, finally looked up, mischief in his eyes. “Come on. We have to go,” he whispered to Jason, looking around as if waiting for someone to pop in.

“And where do we have to go?” Jason asked, eyebrows raised.

His question brought a grin to Dick’s face as he leaned in to whisper the answer. 

“The carnival is in town.”

Jason never had a lot of opportunities to be a kid, to run free and not be worried about what tomorrow had in store for him. There were no dreams and imaginary friends, just the weight of reality growing with each passing year. Flying as Robin was magical, a short glimpse of freedom but the uniform he wore came with a responsibility that couldn’t be ignored. Jason had grown up much too fast and he told himself that was okay because unlike the others, he was sure he never needed the simplicity of a childhood.

But as Dick pulled him through the crowd, laughing and making the lamest jokes known to man, Jason was experiencing everything that he had missed out on. From rigged games to cotton candy melted on his tongue, every moment was nothing short of magical. This was real freedom, not a glimpse, not a dream and Jason never wanted to forget the feeling of happiness that brimmed in his chest, emotions overflowing.

It was easier to let go of his inhibitions when he was with Dick, easier to forget the weight of his past when the younger smiled at him. The warmth he felt when their hands connected was strong enough to spread through his whole body, to make him feel at home. Jason never knew how much he needed this comfort, this feeling of belonging until he met the Robin of his dreams, the one he had always admired from afar. 

Unfortunately, the day was coming to an end and Jason knew that the moment he left the carnival behind, the happiness that had let him soar into the sky without wings would disappear, leaving him to fall. Tomorrow, he would go back home and the connection he had with Dick would be lost. Jason would be left with memories from a time he could never go back to and feelings for his predecessor that were stronger than before.

But somehow, he would find a way to be fine. He just had to.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Snapped back to reality, glancing away from the window of the car they were sitting in, Jason looked at Dick who was now sitting beside him. With the day coming to an end, the two of them had arrived at the Ferris Wheel, the last attraction for the day. While Dick had launched into a story about something that had happened with his friend (someone named Donna), Jason had lost himself in thoughts about what was to come.

“I was just thinking… about going home,” Jason answered, a little surprised by his own honesty.

“Are you looking forward to it?” Dick asked tentatively. His voice was smooth but the nervousness was apparent in his eyes.

Jason smiled and shook his head. “Not really. But--”

“You have to go back.” Dick finished for him.

Silence fell between the two as the Ferris wheel moved slowly, the air turning suffocating. They had spent the whole day ignoring the truth but now, as the sun set on their time together, they could no longer run from what was bound to happen.

As Jason’s heart panged with pain, a hand covered his, the warmth that had comforted him through the day returning to him.

“We’re at the top.” Dick smiled, slightly tilting his head. “Do you know what that means?”

“What?” Jason asked, heart hammering in his chest. He knew the answer, had imagined it from the moment they arrived at the carnival and saw the Ferris wheel. He just didn’t want to push his luck.

Instead of answering, Dick leaned forward and let their lips connect, an innocent kiss enough to drive away Jason’s worries, letting him live in the moment a little longer.

Long ago, Jason had learned that happiness was a fickle thing. It came by to visit but never stayed for long, giving someone a taste of ambrosia and then slipping away in the blink of an eye. Jason had felt happiness one too many times, fallen in love with its warmth, only to be left cold and wanting for something more than the darkness that froze the blood in his veins, reality dawning upon his daydreams. He had sworn to himself that he would never be fooled again but here he was, living in a time where he didn’t belong, wishing he could stay while knowing he had to go.

Tomorrow he could wake up in the present and wonder if his time spent in the past was a dream, left with only memories of Dick’s smile and his gentle touch. But that was okay with Jason because even though he had to leave, every moment with Dick by his side had been one that had changed him, shown him a side of the former Boy Wonder that he would have never known. Maybe in the future, Dick Grayson could never come to love him. Maybe he would find someone else. It didn’t really matter.

All Jason wanted was to see Dick smile again, free and beautiful.

“Jay! Jay! Jay!”

An excited Dick burst through the door, grinning widely as he rushed forward and threw his arms around Jason’s shoulders. “I have amazing news,” he announced, eyes twinkling.

“Do you now?” Jason asked, fingers gripping the younger’s waist and pulling him close. If his time with Dick was limited, he wanted to make the most of it.

“Mmhmm.” Dick nodded against his neck. “I convinced B to let you go on a patrol with us.”

Jason’s brows shot up as he pulled back to look at his boyfriend’s face (Wait. Was he Dick’s boyfriend? Were they together? Jason didn’t have time to panic over this but  _ he was panicking _ ). “How’d you manage that?”

Dick gave him a toothy smile. “B can’t say no to this face.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What? It’s true. I’m super cute and you know it.”

“Well, can’t fight you there, bro.”

“How can I be your bro if I’m your boyfriend?”

“…. Don’t make it weird!” (Boyfriends. They were  _ boyfriends!!) _

“Whatever you say,  _ bro _ .”

“Shut up, Grayson.”

  
  


Jason loved going on patrol. Instead of staring at the sky from the ground, he could fly with invisible wings, reach out his hands and almost touch the stars that guided his path. During this time, he felt unstoppable. As long as he was Robin, protected by his mantle, nothing in the world could bring him down.

Despite this, when Jason was with Batman, there was no fooling around or time to just look at the stars. There was work that had to be done and criminals to put away. Patrol with Dick, however, was different. It seemed that unlike Jason, Dick was allowed to patrol Gotham solo. There was something irksome about that but Jason tried not to focus on it. Instead, he kept his eyes on Dick, on the way he moved and the way he laughed, committing each moment to his memory.

For the first half, they patrolled normally, talking and laughing together. During the second half, when it was clear that there wasn’t anything left for them to do, Dick suggested they play a game of rooftop tag, something that he did occasionally with his best friend Donna Troy. It took a while for Jason to get a hang of the game but by the third round, he had easily tackled Dick down, straddling his hips and grinning triumphantly as his boyfriend’s laughter echoed through the streets of Gotham.

“Gotta say, bro, for someone who invented the game, you’re not really good at it,” Jason teased, watching with amusement as Dick’s pursed his lips.

“I’m just letting you win.”

Jason rolled his eyes at that. “Sure you are.”

“I am.” Dick pouted but then a smile spread across his face. “Anyway, since you won, you should collect your prize.”

It was at that point that Jason started blushing, arrogance slipping away to make way for nervousness. For someone who had never been in such a situation, he was afraid of misreading Dick’s actions and words. “M-my prize?”

“Kiss me you fool.” Dick grinned.

Without hesitating, Jason leaned down and did as he was told, groaning softly as Dick’s fingers tangled into his hair, grabbing hold and pulling gently. This kiss was different from the one they had shared before, less innocent and deeper, making Jason’s skin tingle with sparks, toes curling. Dick’s tongue swiped against his bottom lip once and then twice, pushing in the moment Jason opened his mouth, taking control. Instead of fighting, Jason let his boyfriend have his way, learning everything he liked to do, from the way his tongue moved to the way his fingers roamed across his skin, only to mimic those moves, making Dick moan with surprise.

Lost in each other’s touch, the two barely noticed the arrival of another person until they heard the sound of a throat being cleared. While Jason almost jumped out of his skin, Dick still held onto him, calmly. “What is it, B?” he asked his father figure, not the least bit embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Jason’s face was red, dying of embarrassment because he was sure his hair was a mess and Dick’s legs were still wrapped around his waist. If there was a God deciding everyone’s destiny, he really did like fucking with Jason.

“Zatanna’s at the cave,” Bruce announced.

Jason watched as Dick’s face turned pale, the light in his eyes dying as his lips pulled into a frown. Zatanna’s arrival could only mean one thing: Jason’s time in the past had come to an end.

It was time to go home.

When Jason had fallen through the black hole and landed in the past, the only thing on his mind was finding a way back home, to the manor and to Bruce. Back then, lying under the stars and staring up at the familiar sky, he didn’t know that one incident could change his life drastically. From the moment he had met Dick, touched his skin and kissed his lips, Jason had been preparing himself to leave because he had no other choice. Even if the one he loved was in the past, even if he felt like he belonged here, he had to go home.

But now, as Zatanna spoke to Bruce in a hushed voice, even after preparing himself for hours, Jason wasn’t ready to leave. After so long, he had found happiness again, how was he supposed to say goodbye so easily?

“It’s okay, Jay,” Dick suddenly whispered, lacing their fingers together. “When you go back home, I’ll find you.”

“What if you don’t remember me?” Jason asked, unable to help himself. He could no longer ignore the fear that he was feeling.

Squeezing his hand, Dick looked up until their eyes met, faces just a few inches apart. “I’ll find you,” he repeated, voice full of conviction, smiling softly. “It might take a while for me to remember, maybe even more than a week but no matter what happens, I’ll find you.”

It wasn’t realistic for Dick to make any promises about a future that was uncertain. A million things could happen during the years they spent apart, choices that could take them down different paths. Jason had never been one to hold onto hope, to believe that tomorrow could be kind. But as Dick leaned in to kiss him one last time, with his eyes closed, he prayed to anyone that was listening for things to go his way for once.

“It’s time,” Bruce announced, his gruff voice laced with annoyance because he still didn’t trust Jason, didn’t like how close the two Robins had gotten in just a few days.

Stepping away from Dick, Jason gave his hand one last squeeze before turning away to face Zatanna who looked at him with sympathy. “Ready, birdie?” she asked and Jason nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

With a flick of her hand and a simple chant from Zatanna, Jason could feel his body shut down as his eyes became too heavy to stay open. Any minute now, he would lose consciousness and before that could happen, he glanced back to look at Dick, taking in the sight of his beautiful face. “I’ll find you,” Dick promised once again, making Jason smile.

And then, Jason let the darkness take him home.

“Jason! Jason! Wake up, sleepyhead!”

Groaning at the familiar voice, Jason buried his face in the soft pillow beneath him, shoving off the hand that was shaking his shoulder and falling back asleep. He was just too damn tired and sad to deal with anything or anyone right now. Unfortunately, the annoying voice didn’t get a hint.

“Jay, come on! We promised Alfred we’d stop by the manor for lunch! If you don’t wake up, we’ll be late!”

Well, that didn’t make any sense. Jason lived at the manor and literally saw Alfred every single day.

Going against his better judgment, Jason gently opened his eyes, lashes fluttering until the blurriness disappeared and Dick’s amused face came into sight. “Dickie? What’re you doing here?” Jason asked, his words slurred because he was still half asleep.

“What do you mean?” Dick asked, lips quirking into a smile. “I live here.”

That’s when Jason sat up straight, his wide eyes taking in the room he was sleeping in, the several pictures of him and Dick that decorated the wall, memories of the time they had spent together over the years invading his mind. Within a second, his life was playing out like a movie, details drastically changed because instead of being found stealing the tires of the Batmobile, Dick had one day appeared in front of young Jason’s house with Bruce, giving him a new home, a new identity. At that time, Jason hadn’t understood why he had been welcomed into this new family so easily but Dick assured him that one day he would understand.

Over time, without even knowing about his visit to the past, Jason had fallen in love with Dick all over again because how could he not? Now, here they were, living in an apartment together after years of dancing around each other and playing it safe. Dick was adamant that Jason had to be of legal age before they started their relationship.

“Jay?” Dick called out again, concerned for his boyfriend’s well-being. “You okay there, little wing?”

But Jason wasn’t listening. Instead, he was staring at the man who had changed his life and given Jason a chance to have a childhood, to be happy. Despite all the uncertainties, Dick had kept his promise.

Barely able to contain the tears in his eyes, Jason smiled. “You found me,” he said and those words were all Dick had to know that everything was all right, that Jason had finally come home.

“I found you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I was all over the place when I started writing this fic because I wanted to include all the three prompts given (they were just so good) but then, in the end, I decided to do something simpler. I really did try to make this as angst-free as possible but my mind has a way to secretly insert it when I'm not looking. I just hope this fic was enjoyable to read.
> 
> Also, a huge thanks to [solomonara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/solomonara/pseuds/solomonara) for the beta. I really appreciate it.


End file.
